Hi.
I know that this message is quite long, but I wanted to describe everything with details to ensure that I didn't miss any useful information. I lost all of the datas stored on my flash memory. I tried to find solution in other places in the web but I didn't solve the problem. Hope that you can help..
Few years ago I bought Imation 4GB pendrive flash memory. It has description as follows: HMDS-04GL, E-D900-03-3213. The memory was originally protected with a password. For a few yers everything worked well. When I was plugging the memory into my USB, windows explorer could only recognize a password application (as I remember it was called "Lock"). It didn't even give the information about a disc space. After I ran the application and typed a password, windows could see the disc space and files stored on it.
Some time ago I was working with Open Office and saving my files straight to my Imation flash memory (the memory was "opened" and the password was entered). The files saved on the memory but outside of the password protected area (despite the fact that there was no "public" area on the disc). For a few days after plugging the memory and before entering a password windows could see both: lock application and a few new open office files. After entering a password new open office files disappeared and I could see the content of the password protected area. That's how it worked for few days.
Then I plugged my flash memory and realized that password application disappeared. Only these few new open office files were visible, but I couldn't open or copy them (I got message that the files are corrupted). Despite this Windows can see the total space, and free space of the memory.
I tried to restore my "Lock" application. I found some later versions of it (for ex. ImationLock v. 232) but after running it I get message: "Please insert the device or run this utility as privileged user" (I get the same message under all operatin systems (Windows 7, XP, Linux). When the message apeears the flash memory is plugged and I am logged as an administrator. I found somewhere that I should remove my flash memory from USB and plug it again after this message appears but it didn't work. I tried to copy this ImationLock program into my flash memory and run it straight from there but with the same result.
I also tried Smart Data Recovery and hoped that it will find my missing password program. But it only found a few hundreds of "other files" (all with "tmp" extension).
When I ran cmd.exe and typed: chkdsk.exe G: /F /R /X /V, where "G" was my flash drive letter, I received following answer (it's my translation to english):
"The type of files system is RAW.
CHKDSK is not available for RAW drive."
Everytime (even when it worked fine) when I was plugging that flash memory I got a message from Windows that files here may be damaged and that windows suggests to fix it. I was always refusing that proposal. Finally I typed "yes", windows started scanning it (I think that something like "automatically fix damaged files" was marked) and after few seconds scanning application hanged. When I plugged in the flash memory again, these few open office files which were still visible disappeared. Now windows explorer doesn't see any files there.
I checked the memory under Linux (Ubuntu). On the memory Ubuntu found 6.142 files with total size of 508,3 MB. All of the files has CHK extensions and their names goes from FILE0000.CHK to FILE6141.CHK. The files has quite special structure. 5.004 files has the size of 65,6 kB each, then few hundreds: 131,1 kB, few hundreds: 196,6 kB, and some: 261,1 kB, 327,7 kB, 393,2 kB. There are also few files bigger than 393,2 kB.
It also shows that there are 2,4 GB of free space on the memory and that total capacity is 2,9 GB (while it's 4 GB pen drive).
I created new directory on my hard disc, marked all the files on flash memory and started to copy it. While copying I received (many times) the message: "Error while copying 'FILE NAME'" When clicked "show more details" --> "Error splicing file. Input/output error."
Finally, when copying process finished, in my target directory on hard disc there was the same number of files (6.142) but their total size was a little bit different (502,3 MB) (does it mean that only 6 mb were lost?).
I tried to use CHK-Mate with some example CHK files (it would take too much time to check all) but it doesn't recognize any type of file (I suspect that the content is still encrypted).
Do you know how to recover my data?
Thanks in advance for your help
I know that this message is quite long, but I wanted to describe everything with details to ensure that I didn't miss any useful information. I lost all of the datas stored on my flash memory. I tried to find solution in other places in the web but I didn't solve the problem. Hope that you can help..
Few years ago I bought Imation 4GB pendrive flash memory. It has description as follows: HMDS-04GL, E-D900-03-3213. The memory was originally protected with a password. For a few yers everything worked well. When I was plugging the memory into my USB, windows explorer could only recognize a password application (as I remember it was called "Lock"). It didn't even give the information about a disc space. After I ran the application and typed a password, windows could see the disc space and files stored on it.
Some time ago I was working with Open Office and saving my files straight to my Imation flash memory (the memory was "opened" and the password was entered). The files saved on the memory but outside of the password protected area (despite the fact that there was no "public" area on the disc). For a few days after plugging the memory and before entering a password windows could see both: lock application and a few new open office files. After entering a password new open office files disappeared and I could see the content of the password protected area. That's how it worked for few days.
Then I plugged my flash memory and realized that password application disappeared. Only these few new open office files were visible, but I couldn't open or copy them (I got message that the files are corrupted). Despite this Windows can see the total space, and free space of the memory.
I tried to restore my "Lock" application. I found some later versions of it (for ex. ImationLock v. 232) but after running it I get message: "Please insert the device or run this utility as privileged user" (I get the same message under all operatin systems (Windows 7, XP, Linux). When the message apeears the flash memory is plugged and I am logged as an administrator. I found somewhere that I should remove my flash memory from USB and plug it again after this message appears but it didn't work. I tried to copy this ImationLock program into my flash memory and run it straight from there but with the same result.
I also tried Smart Data Recovery and hoped that it will find my missing password program. But it only found a few hundreds of "other files" (all with "tmp" extension).
When I ran cmd.exe and typed: chkdsk.exe G: /F /R /X /V, where "G" was my flash drive letter, I received following answer (it's my translation to english):
"The type of files system is RAW.
CHKDSK is not available for RAW drive."
Everytime (even when it worked fine) when I was plugging that flash memory I got a message from Windows that files here may be damaged and that windows suggests to fix it. I was always refusing that proposal. Finally I typed "yes", windows started scanning it (I think that something like "automatically fix damaged files" was marked) and after few seconds scanning application hanged. When I plugged in the flash memory again, these few open office files which were still visible disappeared. Now windows explorer doesn't see any files there.
I checked the memory under Linux (Ubuntu). On the memory Ubuntu found 6.142 files with total size of 508,3 MB. All of the files has CHK extensions and their names goes from FILE0000.CHK to FILE6141.CHK. The files has quite special structure. 5.004 files has the size of 65,6 kB each, then few hundreds: 131,1 kB, few hundreds: 196,6 kB, and some: 261,1 kB, 327,7 kB, 393,2 kB. There are also few files bigger than 393,2 kB.
It also shows that there are 2,4 GB of free space on the memory and that total capacity is 2,9 GB (while it's 4 GB pen drive).
I created new directory on my hard disc, marked all the files on flash memory and started to copy it. While copying I received (many times) the message: "Error while copying 'FILE NAME'" When clicked "show more details" --> "Error splicing file. Input/output error."
Finally, when copying process finished, in my target directory on hard disc there was the same number of files (6.142) but their total size was a little bit different (502,3 MB) (does it mean that only 6 mb were lost?).
I tried to use CHK-Mate with some example CHK files (it would take too much time to check all) but it doesn't recognize any type of file (I suspect that the content is still encrypted).
Do you know how to recover my data?
Thanks in advance for your help
